Search Results (759)

There is little research exploring the grey area of sexual violence (SV), considered in the literature as being a more subtle manifestation of SV, and therefore tending to be trivialized, legitimized, and normalized by society. This study aimed to compare students’ perceptions of the grey area of SV based on the gender of those involved, in a cis-hetero context, as well as potential sex differences in these perceptions. A vignette methodology was employed to gain valuable insights into the topic. The sample consisted of 164 university students living in Portugal, 71.3% (n = 117) female, with an average age of 23 (SD = 5.84). The thematic analysis revealed a central theme, Severity, reflecting participants’ perceptions of the seriousness of sexual violence within the “grey area”. This theme is expressed through four sub-themes: Attribution of severity, referring to how seriousness is assigned depending on context and beliefs; Identifying sexual violence, highlighting difficulties in recognizing certain behaviors as abusive; Frequency, capturing perceptions of how often such situations occur; and Report, addressing the barriers and facilitators to formal reporting. Our results indicated that while some participants minimized the scenario, the majority of the sample considered the situation as somewhat or very serious. Only few participants trivialized subtle forms of SV, perceiving incidents without overt physical force as less severe. Notably, sex differences emerged, despite being in the minority of the sample, female participants were more inclined to recognize these behaviors as abusive and to view the allegations as credible, whereas male participants tended to downplay the severity. Full article

Blackground: Football performance analysis has grown rapidly in recent years, with increasing interest in advanced metrics to more accurately evaluate both individual and team performance. The aim of this study was to examine the utility of the Expected Shots Impact Timing (xSIT) metric as an indicator of shooting performance in English professional football, specifically in the men’s Premier League (PL) and the Women’s Super League (WSL). Methods: A total of 9831 shots from the PL (2015/16 season) and 3219 shots from the WSL (2020/21 season) were analyzed. Data were obtained from publicly accessible football databases. The variables examined included goals, Possession Value (PV), Expected Goals (xG), Expected Goals on Target (xGOT), and xSIT. All variables were normalized per match (90 min). Descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and comparative analyses between leagues. Results: The WSL exhibited a significantly higher PV than the PL (p < 0.001), whereas the remaining metrics showed no significant differences between leagues (p > 0.05). Moreover, in the WSL, all performance indicators displayed very strong correlations with goals, while in the PL, similarly strong associations were observed, except for PV, which showed only a weak relationship. Conclusions: the xSIT metric, as an indicator of shooting performance, may be regarded as an influential factor in determining match outcomes across both leagues. Full article

Training users to correctly identify potential security threats like social engineering attacks such as phishing emails is a crucial aspect of cybersecurity. One challenge in this training is providing useful educational feedback to maximize student learning outcomes. Large Language Models (LLMs) have recently been applied to wider and wider applications, including domain-specific education and training. These applications of LLMs have many benefits, such as cost and ease of access, but there are important potential biases and constraints within LLMs. These may make LLMs worse teachers for important and vulnerable subpopulations including the elderly and those with less technical knowledge. In this work we present a dataset of LLM embeddings of conversations between human students and LLM teachers in an anti-phishing setting. We apply these embeddings onto an analysis of human–LLM educational conversations to develop specific and actionable targets for LLM training, fine-tuning, and evaluation that can potentially improve the educational quality of LLM teachers and ameliorate potential biases that may disproportionally impact specific subpopulations. Specifically, we suggest that LLM teaching platforms either speak generally or mention specific quotations of emails depending on user demographics and behaviors, and to steer conversations away from an over focus on the current example. Full article

Background/Objectives: Retail workers may have been at an increased risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. To better understand this group, we set up a longitudinal cohort to document the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination uptake and to study immune response. Methods: Participants were enrolled between 20 April and 22 October 2021 and attended up to 5 visits over 48 weeks. Information collected was: participant characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 detection tests performed, COVID-19 symptoms, and vaccination (influenza and SARS-CoV-2). Findings: We included 304 participants aged 18 to 75; of those, 117 had a first positive SARS-CoV-2 test, mostly (85.5%) during Omicron wave. Forty-two (13.8%) participants got seasonal influenza vaccine within the year (2020–2021) prior to the first visit, and 95.9% had received the primary series of 2 doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine by the beginning of Omicron wave. Participants vaccinated for influenza (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 2.48; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.54–3.98) and older patients (aHR 2.39; 95% CI: 1.40–4.10), were more likely to get a first booster of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine compared to those who did not receive influenza vaccine. In contrast, participants who traveled (aHR 0,62; 95% CI: 0.43–0.91) or participated in frequent gatherings (aHR 0.58; 95% CI: 0.39–0.85) were less likely to be boosted. Conclusions: Variations in vaccine uptake that are usually observed within populations had little effect on completion of the primary SARS-CoV-2 vaccine series. However, these differences became apparent for booster doses, at a period during which most infections in this cohort were recorded. Full article

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the potential of dietary soy isoflavones (SIF) to counteract growth inhibition, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inflammation induced by oxidized fish oil in Monopterus albus (initial body weight: 26.0 g). The fish were reared in outdoor pond-based net cages (2.0 m × 1.5 m × 1.5 m; 3 cages per treatment, 50 fish per cage) and fed five isonitrogenous and isolipidic experimental diets: a control diet (CON) containing 2.2% fresh fish oil, and oxidized fish oil diets (2.2% oxidized oil) supplemented with 0 (SIF0), 25 (SIF25), 50 (SIF50), or 100 (SIF100) mg/kg SIF. The fish were fed to satiation daily at 4:00 pm at a rate of 3–5% of initial body weight. Compared with the CON group, the SIF0 group showed significantly reduced growth performance, with a final weight gain rate of 84.13%, and decreased intestinal digestive enzyme activity. Hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities declined to 1.78 U/mgprot and 4.13 U/mgprot, respectively, while serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) levels increased to 24.95 U/L and 37.56 U/L. The SIF0 diet also up-regulated the expression of hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (perk, ire1, atf6) and pro-inflammatory genes (tnfα, il-1β). Dietary SIF supplementation alleviated these adverse effects, with the most pronounced improvements observed at 50 mg/kg SIF based on overall performance. These results demonstrate that SIF can serve as a functional feed additive to mitigate oxidative stress and related metabolic disorders in M. albus. Full article

This study focuses on determining the optimal fig and butyric acid concentrations for butanol production under thermophilic conditions. Waste fig is a potentially rich substrate in sugars, minerals, and vitamins, but it is insufficient for effective butanol formation when butyrate is not present in the media because butanol is produced by butyrate reduction. Therefore, butyric acid was supplemented gradually in certain concentrations to fig-containing fermentation broth. The best combination of butyric acid and fig was determined using the Box–Wilson statistical experiment design. Fig and butyric acid concentrations were set as independent variables, while butanol concentration was the objective function. When the concentrations of butyric acid and fig were near the middle of the ranges under inspection, more butanol was produced. Butanol production was the lowest as fig and butyric acid values got closer to the extremes, particularly at high concentrations. Maximum butanol of 0.32 g/L was obtained with 16 g fig/L and 1.6 g butyric acid/L. The quadratic model generated was found to be significant, and its reliability was tested with verification experiments with reproducible results. This study showed that butanol could be produced from butyrate-supplemented fig waste under thermophilic conditions with a consolidated bioprocessing approach. Full article

Polystyrene microplastic (PS-MP) particles disrupt aquatic biological systems due to their persistence and high bioaccumulation potential, causing structural damage and inflammatory responses. PS-MPs also act as metabolic disruptors, affecting glucose metabolism and insulin signaling, although the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. In this study, grass carp were exposed to 100 μg/L and 400 μg/L of polystyrene MPs for 30 days. Histopathological analysis showed the shortening of intestinal villi, vacuolization, and inflammatory infiltration. Antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD and CAT) were reduced, while the presence of tissue damage markers (GPT and GOT) was elevated, suggesting a biphasic oxidative stress response. Transcriptomic analysis revealed downregulation of genes related to metabolism and insulin signaling, especially at 400 μg/L. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) highlighted pathways related to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, indicating the disruption of glucose metabolism. Microbiome analysis showed reduced diversity, expansion of Proteobacteria (opportunistic pathogens), and a decrease in beneficial bacteria like Bacillus. These shifts correlated with changes in the expression of key insulin signaling genes, emphasizing the role of host–microbiota interactions in metabolic imbalances. This study revealed that PS-MPs disrupt glucose metabolism and insulin signaling in grass carp through a combination of histological damage, oxidative stress, and microbiota dysbiosis. Full article

Fulvic acid’s potential to enhance plant growth has been recognized, but its effects on plant growth and nutrient uptake under nutrient stress remain unclear. This experiment investigated the effects of fulvic acid at concentrations of 0 mg L⁻¹ (T1), 30 mg L⁻¹ (T2), 60 mg L⁻¹ (T3), 90 mg L⁻¹ (T4), 120 mg L⁻¹ (T5), and 150 mg L⁻¹ (T6) on the growth performance of two rice varieties—Jikedao 654 (J 654) and Jiyang 100 (J 100)—under low-nitrogen stress in a hydroponic system. The effects of different fulvic acid application rates on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics, the key enzymes of nitrogen metabolism, antioxidant properties, and the osmotic adjustment substances of rice under low-nitrogen stress were evaluated. The results indicated that the addition of an appropriate concentration of fulvic acid could enhance the growth performance of J 654 and J 100 under low-nitrogen stress. Compared to T1 treatment, the total dry weight and nitrogen accumulation of rice showed greater increases in response to T3 and T4 treatments. The photosynthetic pigment content increased, photosynthesis was enhanced, and the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci), and transpiration rate (Tr) were improved. The activities of key enzymes in nitrogen metabolism, including nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), and glutamate pyruvate transaminase activity (GPT), were enhanced, thereby improving the capacity for nitrogen uptake and assimilation. The addition of fulvic acid also enhanced the antioxidant capacity, increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxide (POD) and catalase (CAT) activity and decreased the toxic effects of ROS, the production rate of O₂⁻, and the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The low-nitrogen stress was alleviated, thereby reducing the proline and soluble sugars content. Overall, it was demonstrated that adding an appropriate concentration (60–90 mg L⁻¹) of fulvic acid under low-nitrogen stress has a positive impact on the growth and development of rice. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the application of fulvic acid in alleviating low-nitrogen stress in rice. Full article

Siamese network trackers are a prominent paradigm in visual object tracking due to efficient similarity learning. However, most Siamese trackers are restricted to the bounding box tracking format, which often fails to accurately describe the appearance of non-rigid targets with complex deformations. Additionally, since the bounding box frequently includes excessive background pixels, trackers are sensitive to similar distractors. To address these issues, we propose a novel segmentation-assisted model that learns binary mask representations of targets. This model is generic and can be seamlessly integrated into various Siamese frameworks, enabling pixel-wise segmentation tracking instead of the suboptimal bounding box tracking. Specifically, our model features two core components: (i) a multi-stage precise mask representation module composed of cascaded U-Net decoders, designed to predict segmentation masks of targets, and (ii) a saliency localization head based on the Euclidean model, which extracts spatial position constraints to boost the decoder’s discriminative capability. Extensive experiments on five tracking benchmarks demonstrate that our method effectively improves the performance of both anchor-based and anchor-free Siamese trackers. Notably, on GOT-10k, our method increases the AO scores of the baseline trackers SiamRPN++ (anchor-based) and SiamBAN (anchor-free) by 5.2% and 7.5%, respectively while maintaining speeds exceeding 60 FPS. Full article

To evaluate the effects of dietary threonine levels on rice field eels (Monopterus albus), six experimental diets were formulated with graded threonine supplementation: 0 g/kg (T1), 3 g/kg (T2), 6 g/kg (T3), 9 g/kg (T4), 12 g/kg (T5), and 15 g/kg (T6). Rice field eels, with an initial body weight of 18.47 ± 0.11 g, were fed for 60 days. The weight gain ratio (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) significantly increased in the T4 group, while feed conversion ratio (FCR) significantly decreased. Broken-line regression analysis determined the optimal dietary threonine requirement to be 7.5–9.0 g/kg. Concomitantly, whole-body crude protein content increased, while lipid content decreased; serum GOT and GPT activities declined, indicating reduced hepatic stress, whereas hepatic CAT and SOD activities markedly increased, enhancing antioxidant capacity. Digestive enzyme capacity was enhanced, as evidenced by elevated lipase and trypsin activities. Muscle texture properties, including cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness, were significantly improved in the T4 and T5 groups. At the molecular level, MyoG, MyoD1, and MYF5 expression peaked in T4, while MRF4 expression increased progressively. LEfSe analysis of the microbiome, coupled with KEGG functional prediction, revealed that Corynebacterium and Methylocella were positively correlated with growth metrics; these genera likely promote muscle deposition through three enriched metabolic pathways that enhance energy and amino acid availability. Collectively, dietary threonine supplementation at 7.5–9.0 g/kg promotes growth, enhances digestive function, and improves muscle quality in rice field eels. Full article

Suspended solids are small particles transported in the water column, which can damage marine ecosystems and impair the health of aquatic organisms. This study evaluated the physiological responses of clams (Venerupis philippinarum) and Atlantic Bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) to suspended solid exposure. Four concentrations (100–1000 mg/L) were tested, with a control group maintained at 0 mg/L. At each time point (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 days), hemolymph samples were collected from five individuals per group to measure GOT, GPT, ALP, and cortisol. Exposure to suspended solids significantly increased these biochemical indicators compared with the control. Quantitative survival analysis showed that Venerupis philippinarum survival declined to 83.3% (25/30) at 500 mg/L and 76.7% (23/30) at 1000 mg/L after 5 days, while the control maintained 100% survival. In Argopecten irradians, survival remained close to 100% in most treatments, with a slight reduction to 83.3% (25/30) at 1000 mg/L. No mortality occurred in the control group without suspended solids, whereas mortality was evident under combined temperature stress and suspended solid exposure. These findings demonstrate that suspended solids induce stress responses in both species, with early mortality in Venerupis philippinarum likely caused by particle adhesion to the gills, leading to reduced respiratory efficiency. Full article

Real-time nitrogen (N) management based on the leaf color chart (LCC) is considered a potential alternative to traditional farmer practices. However, its physiological mechanisms for enhancing rice N utilization and its effects on paddy field N balance remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate the potential enzymatic mechanisms underlying LCC’s influence on rice N use and quantify the impact of LCC on paddy field N balance. In 2022 and 2023, a single-factor randomized block design experiment was conducted during the rice planting season. Four N treatments: no N (ONF), farmers’ conventional practices + urea [FNR] as the control, LCC + urea [SSNM1], LCC + controlled-release urea [SSNM2] were administered. Rice yield and N uptake were positive correlations with nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT), glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activities, which were higher under SSNM1 and SSNM2 compared with FNR, but were negative correlation with proteinase activity. Moreover, SSNM1 and SSNM2 increased rice yield by 9.2% and 9.4%, N uptake by 15.4% and 15.3%, and N use efficiency by 46.9% and 65.0%, and reduced reactive N losses by 46.2% and 66.7%, respectively. The annual net soil N inputs under FNR, SSNM1, and SSNM2 were 12.6, 8.9, and 4.2 kg N ha⁻¹, respectively. LCC-based N management increased N uptake and rice yield by enhancing the activities of NR, GS, GPT, GOT, and GDH while reducing protease activity. Moreover, LCC maintained soil N supply capacity even with reduced nitrogen fertilizer application. Full article

Mushrooms, renowned for their nutritional value and bioactive compounds, offer potential health benefits, including antioxidants and anti-aging properties. Aging, characterized by cellular and tissue decline, is often associated with autophagy dysfunction, a crucial cellular cleaning process. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and antimicrobial properties of extracts from four medicinal and edible mushrooms: Ganoderma lucidum, Hericium erinaceus, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Agaricus bisporus. The protein, total phenol, and flavonoid content of mushroom extracts were determined. Aging was induced with 120 mg/kg D-galactose and treated with 500 mg/kg mushroom extracts. The study evaluated liver enzyme levels, histopathological changes in liver and brain tissues, gene expression correlated to neurodegeneration (SEPT5-SV2B-ATXN2-PARK2), telomere length, and immunomodulatory and pro-inflammatory (IL-2-IL-4-IL-6) gene expression pathways. Additionally, the antimicrobial potential of mushroom extracts was assessed against several bacteria (Lysinibacillus odyssey, Lysinibacillus fusiformis, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Escherichia coli) using agar well diffusion and lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods. By exploring these diverse aspects, this study aimed to provide a foundation for a better understanding of the potential of mushrooms as natural neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and antimicrobial agents and their potential applications in human health. Results indicated that all mushroom extracts effectively mitigated oxidative stress. Agaricus bisporus exhibited the highest protein and flavonoid content, and Pleurotus ostreatus displayed the highest phenolic content. Notably, Hericium erinaceus and Ganoderma lucidum extracts demonstrated significant neuroprotective and hepatoprotective properties against D-galactose-induced aging, as evidenced by histopathological examination. All extracts exhibited a significant decrease (p < 0.001) in liver function (serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (GOT) and alanine aminotransferase (GPT)) and showed immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, characterized by upregulated IL-2 and IL-4 gene expression and downregulated IL-6 gene expression. Hericium erinaceus demonstrated the most pronounced upregulation (p < 0.001) of SEPT5, SV2B, and telomere length gene expression, suggesting potential anti-aging effects. Furthermore, all mushroom extracts displayed antimicrobial activity against the tested bacterial strains, except Hericium erinaceus, which exhibited antibacterial activity solely against E. coli. Agaricus bisporus exhibited the largest inhibition zones (22 ± 0.06 mm) against Lysinibacillus odyssey, while Hericium erinaceus displayed the largest inhibition zone against E. coli. The MIC value was observed with Agaricus bisporus extract against Lysinibacillus odyssey (1.95 ± 0.16 mg/mL). Lysinibacillus fusiformis exhibited the highest resistance to the tested mushroom extracts. These findings suggest that these edible and medicinal mushrooms possess a wide range of health-promoting properties, including neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and antimicrobial activities. Further research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and optimize applications. However, our results provide a strong foundation for exploring these mushrooms as potential natural agents that promote overall health and combat age-related decline. Full article

This exploratory pilot study examined how Latine adolescents’ ethnic–racial identity (ERI)—specifically, centrality, private regard, and public regard—was shaped by parents’ gender role socialization (GRS) beliefs and perceptions of neighborhood connectedness and problems. Sixty Latine parent–adolescent dyads living in a Northeastern new destination context participated. Hierarchical regression models were used to test whether GRS beliefs moderated the effects of neighborhood on adolescents’ ERI. Traditional GRS beliefs moderated associations between neighborhood problems and ERI dimensions, such that adolescents whose parents endorsed stronger traditional GRS beliefs reported lower ERI centrality, private regard, and public regard in neighborhoods with more problems. These associations were not significant for neighborhood connectedness and did not differ by child gender. Findings suggest that parent beliefs about gender may shape identity development in environments perceived as risky or under-resourced. The context-dependent nature of socialization and the adaptive nature of parenting processes in emerging Latine communities are discussed. Full article

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is on the rise, and insulin resistance (IR) is one of the key risk factors for developing T2D. This paper seeks to identify risk factors for IR in women with normal menstrual cycles (NM) and early menopausal women (EM). Methods: EM women between 30 and 50 years old were compared with an NM control group. Four machine learning (ML) methods were trained using comprehensive physiological and lifestyle data to estimate a homeostasis model for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR dependent variable). Traditional multiple linear regression (MLR) was used as a benchmark for comparison. Results: A total of 948 participants were enrolled (NM: 410, EM: 538). On average, ML outperformed MLR, identifying the six key risk factors in the EM group (from most to least important) as waist–hip ratio (WHR), triglyceride (TG), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), HDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C), and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). Rankings differed in the NM group, with WHR identified as the leading risk factor, followed by C-reactive protein (CRP), HDL-C, total bilirubin (TBIL), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and white blood cell count (WBC). Conclusions: Using ML, we found that WHR and HDL-C are the common denominators in both EM and NM women, with additional correlations with TG, liver enzymes and LDH for EM women. These results clearly indicate the importance of estrogen protection, suppressing less important factors (TG, liver enzyme, and LDH), and only the stronger inflammatory markers become important (CRP, TBIL, and WBC). Once estrogen’s protection disappears, the suppression of CRP, TBIL, and WBC would become weaker. Since these 3 features are significantly correlated with body weight, for women under 50, reducing body weight is the most important factor in preventing hyperglycemia. Full article